Martyrs’ day and its nuggets: Mamata Banerjee admonishes BJP and CPI(M)

On the eve of the age-old martyrs’ day celebration, Mamata Banerjee kicked off her election campaign for the forthcoming state assembly elections.

Picture credit: indiatoday.in

On the 21st of July 1993, 13 people were shot dead in a police firing owing to their incessant demands to make voter ID card as the sole document to exercise one’s right to vote. It was Mamata Banerjee who started off with this annual affair; a day to commemorate the sacrifices of the martyrs at Shahid Minar.

In an effort to save her party from the string of criticisms dogging her and her party members, she lambasted the media and the opposition parties, “the media and the opposition parties are working hand in glove to shatter the image of the Government, but the people are stronger than media and they will judge our performance”.

Fleshing out her government’s progress report, she added that Nadia district has been declared as India’s cleanest district by UNESCO. Further, shedding light on the state government’s initiative to up the status of girls in the state, she also restated that Kanyashri Prakalpa – a state-run program to support and empower adolescent girls- has 22 lakhs adolescent girls under its wings, the number being the highest amongst the states.

Refuting the media furore about her joining hands with the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections, she said, “Trinamool Congress will fight alone and win all the assembly seats in Bengal”.

Giving an inkling of her party’s strength and intent, she lashed out at her predecessors, “ For 35 years CPI(M) failed to develop the state, and when we are trying to bring forth development, they are feeling jealous. In 2016, the CPI(M) party will totally be removed from the state”.

Besides applauding her party members for the amount of hard work they have put in, she also ensured the youth of the state that they will soon be bagging coveted employment opportunities. According to her, the government will soon hire two lakh people in different sectors.

Rolling out her schemes exclusively meant for the poor, she said the state government will be providing ration on a monthly basis to three lakhs poor people in Bengal.

Further, the government will be giving scholarships to students hailing from the minority communities and will be building 22 multi-specialty hospitals and five new universities in Bengal.

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Mamata Banerjee also gave a strong message to her party workers. She said, “To be a Trinamool party member, you have to follow five Ds- Discipline, Dedication, Determination, Devotion and Development”.

Painting a pro-poor picture of her party, she said Trinamool is a party for the poor people and not for the businessmen.

In an attempt at sporting her support for a party bereaved of corruption, she warned her party members involved in syndicates or illegal mining activities of grave repercussions. In addition, she asked the young generation to respect their elders and teachers.

As a last nail on the coffin, she congratulated the people of Kolkata for their recent victory in the elections to the Kolkata Municipal corporation and promised the people that she will arrange a victory party in Kolkata after Bengal becomes green in the 2016 assembly elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of aiding those who he said want to weaken the Indian Army and raising questions over the government and even the Supreme Court over Rafale fighter jets.

“Today, there are two camps in the country. One is the government that is trying to strengthen our Army. The other wants to weaken our Army at any cost,” Modi said, flagging off the 900th coach of Modern Rail Factory and a Humsafar Rake in Rae Bareli, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency.

“The country has been witnessing that the Congress stands by those powers who don’t want our armed forces to be strengthened,” he added, in an obvious reference to Sonia Gandhi’s son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi who has been accusing corruption in the Rafale jet deal with France.

The Prime Minister said the country was watching “such people” who he added were “getting support of countries pitted against India”.

“What is the reason that people in Pakistan clap when some of our leaders speak?”

Narendra Modi (Wikimedia Commons)

The Prime Minister pointedly accused the Congress of raising questions over the dignity of the Defence Ministry, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Air Force, France and the Supreme Court over the purchase of Rafale jet aircraft.

“Some people only accept lies and speak lies. For them the country’s Defence Ministry, Defence Minster and Air Force officers are liars. The French government is also a liar. Now, the country’s Supreme Court is also a liar for them.

“But truth does not need ‘shringaar’ and lies will always die. The country will never forgive the Congress over its attitude towards the Army.”

“What kind of people are they who do not care about the country? I know that they want to abuse Modi. They want to frame Modi for corruption. But I want to know why they have put the country’s pride at stake for this? Why is national security being put on stake?” (IANS)